With summer in full swing, it’s hard not to admire the yards and gardens around town that are filled with greenery and colorful blooms. If you’ve always assumed that your yard was too dry, too shady, or that the soil was too sandy to support such beautiful plants—guess again. In fact, these common problems may just inspire you to get more creative with your plant picks. With expert advice and care tips from a couple of plant pros, we’ve ID’d 15 pretty plants that will thrive in even the least plant-friendly spaces. Fragrant, flowering dianthus will not only survive in sandy soil, but it will also fill your backyard with color and a lovely, slightly spicy scent. If you have a shady yard that doesn’t get much sun, skip the grass and carpet the ground with common oak sedge, which adds textural interest to the area. With these hard-to-kill plants readily available at nurseries and garden centers, there’s no reason to let a dry, low-light space stop you from creating a showstopping backyard.

Subscribe

All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.